Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-02-19
XXTH LEGISLATURE.
Houston Rises to Question OF Privi.
lege to Explain Certain Tesli.
mOny in the Willis Case.
Tho House Passes the Bill to Punish the
Practice and Preaching of Poly
gamous Doctrines.
THE SENATE.
special to the Gszafte.


| Special to the Gazette.
| AUSTIN, TEX. Feb. IS.-In the Senate
/ TO-DAY petitions Were offered as follows:
By Senator McManus, from LaSalle
county, asking for sufficient spproprla-
ton TO support the frontier battalion.
BY Senator Glssscock, from citizens of
| Washington county, against the creation
Of the new county of Willie.
| By Senator Houston, from Williamson
county, in favor OF the new county of
Willie
| By Senator Abercrombie, by special re-
quest, a protest from Judge Gustav
! Cook against the action of the Urited
! States Senate in Investigating the WASH
ington county outrages. Accompanying
tae protest is the following Joint resolu-
ton by the learned Judge:
Be it Resolved by the Senate and House
Of Representatives Of the state of Texas,
That the action of the majority of the
United ates Senate in raising q commit
tee to investigate charges against the
people of Washington county upon the
! instigation of trio of disreputable
renegades, who are fugitives from justice,
if not legal prosecution, is insulting to
Texas as well as to every other state in
the Union, is unwarranted by law, and
without the scope of the Senate's author
ity; that being SO, any appropria
ton or expenditure of money
| belonging to the United States for
such g purpose is fraudulent conversion
| thereon, embezzlement, q felony under
the law, and its authors should be pun
| ished by confinement in the penitentiary
not less than two nor more than ten
! years.
| Sec. 2. Be it further resolved, that it is
the sense OF the Senate and House of
Representatives of Texas that this con-
duct of the Senate of the. United States,
is actuated by partisan purposes, and is
promoted by class whose very preten-
sion to patriotism is evidenced by hatred
and malevolence toward the people. of the
south, whom they have persistently perse-
cuted by every manner and means OF OPP
preston they could invent, since they
have assumed he southern people were
| helpless and unable to resist their tyranny
or resent their insults.
SEC. ;. Be 1t further resolved, that in
our best judgment no citizen is bound to
obey their pretended authority In this be-
| half, and the civil authorities are advised
to interpose by all lawful means for the
| protection of our citizens against their
unlawful and hgh-handed usurpation
Senator Frank, for the penitentIary
committee, reported unfavorably the bill
to regulate the hiring of penitentiary con-
victs.
Senator Camp, fo- the committee on
state affairs, reported unfavorably to IL
cense railroad engineers and con-
duCtors; unfavOrably to penuit
cities to estab ish houses Of refuge;
unfavOrahly the JOINT resolution appro-
priatiDg $4,000 to purchase the house in
which the first Congress of Texas was
held
Senator Jarvis, for the finance commit
tee, reported uDfavorlbly creating boards
of equalization for cities and towns; I'M
fav r2blY 10 loan the school fund to rail
ways.
Senator Woods offered joint resolu-
ton appointing committee to investi
gate the reason why the state is behind
in the payment ii the public school teach
ers and to report the same t.. the Legisla
ture. Adopted, and Senators Woods,
Lane and Davis were appointed on the
committee.
BY Senator Douglass OF Jefferson, to
change the time Of holding court in Har-
din county.
After the morning call the discussion
on the railroad commission bill, pending
| yesterday, was resumed. Senator Ter
reil Withdrew his motion to strike out
the enacting clause.
On motion of Senator Frank this bill
was considered by sections. Various
amendments were offered, and pending
the discussion on the bill Senator Hous-
ton arose to a question of privilege to
explain in person certain testimony in
the Willis case.
Senator Houston read as follows:
| "Complaint is made that in the report of
Mr.. Nelson's testimony in the Willis in
vestigation, q material point is omitted.
1t is claimed that where Mr. Nelson spoke
of the Panhandle Association having
given bonus of $4,000 to Mr.. Wood
man, as District Attorney, he also
said that after Mr.. Hous-
ton had left the Office he
demanded and received the sum of
$500 from the company for the same
character of services. The Statesman
has no interest in this matter and does
not want to iniure any one and certainly
will not favor one side 10 the detriment of
the other. Plain and simple justice is all
that is supposed 10 be asked on either
side, ana plain and simple justice The
Statesman will always accord
Now, Mr.. President aud gentleman of
the Senate, presumably the reason for eX-
Guiding the matter yesterday omitted and
which is alluded to was its total irreli-
vancy, buE il seems that some one enter
tanning an animus insists that the testi-
mOny must go TO the world, and it is in
| cumbent upon me to notice it, If not
upon nv own account Tor the sake of this
body of which l am a member, for l hope
in common with my thirty compeers have
''thst chastity of,honor which feels stain
like a wound" The facts are these:
"When, for reasons needless 20 name l
had resigned my office Of District-Attor-
ney of the frontier district, there were
certain cases still pending on the Grimm
al docket which persons injured desired
l should continue to prosecute, as l had
prepared the indictments and procured
the testimony. At hat time my regisna-
ton had taken effect and my successor
had qualified and l was upon the same
plain as any other attorney and received
500 for my services, and not 5000
as stated. Now, gentlemen, the most tas-
tidious will not claim that my acceptance
of the fee was violation of professional
ethics. will not stand upon this floor
and in this high presence and bend